eplied.
"This gentleman has been staying with me for a couple of days, and
went out this morning and lost his way."

"Where did he come from?" asked the man.

"Why," I answered.

"Why? Because I want to know," he shouted. "Don't let me have any
further prevarication. Where did the man, or Wallypug, or whatever you
call him, come from?"

"From Why. From a place called Why, you know," I repeated.

"I _don't_ know," said the officer. "I've never heard of such a place.
Where is it?"

"Well, really," I said, "I'm very sorry, but I cannot tell you. I
don't know myself."

"This is _very_ remarkable," said the man, glaring at me through his
glasses. "You don't know your friend's name; you call him a Wallypug,
and can't explain what that is, you don't know where he comes
from--perhaps you can tell me how he reached your house?"

I was now really in a fix, for how could I tell this man that his
Majesty had stepped out of a picture.

I thought the best thing to do was to hold my tongue.

"How did he come?" repeated the officer. "By train?"

I shook my head.

"By steamer?"

I shook my head again.

"Did he drive?--or come on a bicycle, or walk?"

I remained silent.

The police officer stared at me for a moment or two, waiting for my
answer.

"Look here, young man," said he at last, evidently very angry indeed.
"It strikes me that you are having a game with me. You had better go
away quietly or I shall be obliged to take you in charge as a
lunatic."

"But I assure you that--"

"How was your friend dressed?"

"Oh, he wore a somewhat battered gold crown, and carried an orb and
sceptre, and was dressed in knee breeches and a velvet cloak with an
ermine collar."

The man gave me a keen glance and then rang a bell. A policeman
appeared a moment or two afterwards, and the officer whispered
something to him, of which I only caught the words, "harmless
lunatic."

"Lunatic, sir; yes, sir. Step this way, please," said the policeman,
and before I could realize what had happened I was bundled into a
small bare room, and the key was turned in the lock and I was a
prisoner.

Here was a pretty state of affairs. The stupid people had mistaken me
for a lunatic, and I was no doubt to be locked up here till a doctor
arrived.

Of course the only thing for me to do was to sit still and wait as
patiently as I could. Fortunately the police people thought of
telegraphing to the other stations to find out if anything was